Radiator fan



E. F. COLBY RADIATOR FAN Sept. 23 1924.

Filed Auz. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l/WElVTOl? ELI F'. COLBY.

A TTOR/VEYS Sept. 23, 19 24.

3,5092%6 E. F. COLBY RADIATOR FAN Filed Aug. 8, 1922 2 Sheets-SW91 3 I/VVE R ELI F. COL

A TTOH/I/EYS 20 fan Sept. 23, E32&

unit-nu stares IE1 FRANKLIN COLBY, OF LAKE MILLS, IOWA.

RADIATOR FAN.

Application filed August a, 1922. Serial No. 380,511.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELI F. COLBY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lake Mills, in the county of Winnebago and a State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRadiator Fans, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of radiator fans for inin ternal combustion engines.

My invention relates to fans, particularly adapted for use in connection with the rude ators of internal combustion engines, and has for its object to provide certain improve- 15 ments in the construction of the same as will be hereinafter more definitely pointed out and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a when applied, said fan embodyin the present invention and the blades emg partly broken away.

Fi ure2 is a transverse sectional View of the an.

Figure 3 is an outside elevation of the pulley by which the fan blades and associated mountin means are carrled.

Fiure 4 1s a sectional view taken on the line 4-'4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an outside elevation of the inner fan blade supporting housing or casing.

Figure 6 is a view in side elevation of the gear employed for adjusting the fan rin $5 blades and for locking them in ad usted position.

Figure 7 is a detail ,VIQW illustrating the manner in which the rigg gears serve to lock the fan blades in adjusted positions.

1 Like reference numerals refer to like parts throu bout the drawings.

Re erring to the drawings in detail, Bin

dicates enerally the forward portion of the engine housing or casing usually employed for supporting the associated ventilating fan, P indicates the pulley by which the fan is driven, and 0 indicates a casing or housing which supports the fan blades B The pulley P preferably consists of a cast- 0 ing comprising a drum-like portion 10 which has its outer periphery beveled and which has formed at each end an annular retaining flange 11. One end of the drum 10 has formed upon its inner periphery an annular flange 12 which has formed therewith a journaling sleeve 13, said sleeve having provided upon its inner periphery an annular groove 14 preferably semi-circular in shape as shown. The roove 14 communicates with a duct 15, said not being closed at its outer end b a screwpllug 16. A bolt 17 is extende through t e sleeve 13 and threaded into the casing B, as shown, and interposed between the bolt and sleeve 13 are a air of bushings 18 and 19, the op osing en s of said bushlngs when positioned being-spaced, and said space occurring in registry with the annular groove 14in the inner periphery of the sleeve 13. Each bushin 18 and 19 is provided at its outer end with a flange 20, the flange of the bushing 18 abutting the head 21 of the bolt 17, While the flange 20 of the bushing is inter osed between the associated end of the sleeve 13 and the engine housing B.

The flange 12 of the drum 10 is formed upon its outer'side with the annular extension 21 within 17 is disposed.

The casing 0 comprises the two sections 22 and 23. The section 22 is a circular plate 24 having formed'upon its outer face and about its periphery a flange 25, the inner periphery of sand flange being preferably hexagonal, as shown in Figure 5. The section 22 is secured to the annular extension 21 of the pulley P by the means of screws 26, and the plate 24 of the section 22 is provided upon its outer face with a central boss 27. The section 23 of the casing C corresponds in diameter to the section 22 and consists of a plate having formed about its outer riphery and upon its inner face an annu ar flange 28 which is provided upon its inner face with four semi-circular recesses as at 29, said recesses being adapted to be brought into registerin relation with. recesses 30 formed upon t e similar face of the flange 25 of section 22. The inner face of the section 23 is also provided with a central boss 23' which is provided with a longitudinally extending central bore, as shown. The section 23 is held in position by a circular plate 31, said plate beln formed upon its outer face with a centra? boss 32 through which there extends a stem 33, said stem terminating at its outer end in a thumb screw head which the head of the bolt 35 which is a are also formed the gear teeth 38 adapted to its inner end being threaded through the boss 27 carried by the section 22.

Each fan blade 13 is preferabl made of sheet metal and one end thereo is rolled upon itself to (provide a hollow stem portion apted to rotatably fit within a pair of registering recesses 29 and 30 of the casing sections 22 and 23. Upon the inner end of each fan blade stem there is loosely fitted a inion 36, each pinion having its inner e ge or side formed with a plurality of semi-circular notches 37. The notches 37 are arranged in sets preferably three notches constituting a set and each of said notches of a set being diametrically opposed to a notch of the other set upon the fan pinion. A-pin 38 is extended through each of the fan blade stems 35 at a point adjacent its inner end and said pin being so disposed that its ends will be adapted to be brought into diametrically opposed notches 37 formed in the associated pinion 36.

Upon the inner face of the section23 there form a gear ring which may be broughtinto mesh with each of the pinions 36.

Within the casin C there is positioned a coil spring C whic may consist of two or more convolutions, as shown, and which is of a suitable diameter so that the free ends of the fan blade stems 35 may engage thereon.

The coil spring 33 may be held in its applied position with suitable tangs as at 39 which extend from ears 40 formed upon the inner side of the perimeters of the flange 28 of the casing section 23 respectively.

7 In use the fan is mounted upon an internal combustion engine, and a belt P is employed for rotating the casing C. Oil may be lntroduced through the duct 15 whereby to lubricate the bolt 17 In case it is desired to change the position of the fan blades B any fan blade may be adjusted individually by pressing it inwardly against the tension of the spring C and then rotating it to shift its pin 38 so that it ma engage in a different pair of alined notches 37 the arrangement of said notches being suc as shown in Figure 7 that any fan blade may be shifted to assume either a neutral position, or a position to force air either forwardly or back wardly, as desired. Should it be desired to change the pitch of all of the blades simultaneously in either direction, then by turning the stem 33 slightly to loosen the plate 31 the section 23 will be free to rotate, carrying with it the gear teeth 38 which will rotate the inions 36 simultaneousl thereby correspon ingly adjusting the fan lades B;

While I have shown and described the preferred form of m invention, I wish it to be understood that am aware of the fact that the construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be changed by those woaaee skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, as indicated by the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a fan structure of the character described, annular casing having a plurality of radial openings, a plurality of fan blades, one for each of said openings, said fan blades in each instance having an inner end stem portion adapted to be extended within the opening ofthe casing, a pinion carried upon the inner end of each fan blade stem, and a ring gear carried by the casing adapted to mesh with said pinions whereby to lock the fan blades against turning movement.

2. In a fan structure of the character described, an annular casing having a plurality of radial openings, a plurality of fan blades, one for each' of said openings, said fan blades in each instance having an inner end stem portion. adapted to be extended within the opening of the casin a pinion carried upon the inner end of eac fan blade stem, a ring gear carried by the casing adapted to meshvwith said pinions whereby to lock the fan blades against turning movement, and means whereby the ring gear may be rotated for rotating said fan blades in unison.

3. In a fan structure of the character described, an annular casing having a plurality of radial openings, a plurality of blades, one for each of said openin s and rotatably mounted therein, a pinion oosely mounted upon the inner end of each fan blade and having notches formed upon its inner side, a transverse pin carried by the inner end of each fan blade adapted to engage in the notches of the associated pinion, means for ieldably pressing the fan blades outward y, and means for locking the pinions against turning movement.

4. In a fan structure of the character described, an annular casing having a plurality of radial openings, a plurality of blades, one for each of said openings and rotatably mounted therein, a pinion loosely mounted upon the inner end of each fan blade and having notches formed upon its inner side, a transverse pin carried by the inner end of each fan blade adapted to engage in the notches of the assoclated pinion, means for yieldably pressing the fan blades outwardly,

notches of the associated inion, a coil spring positioned within t e casing and adapted to engage the inner ends of said fan blades for yieldingly holding the fan against inward movement, and means for locking said pinions against turning movement.

6. In a fan structure of the character described, an" annular casing havin a plurality of radial openings, a plurality blades, one for each of sald openings and rotatably mounted therein, a pinion loosely mounted upon the inner end of each fan blade and having notches formed upon its inner side, a transverse pin carried by the inner end of each fan blade adapted to engage in the notches of the associated pinion, a coil sprin positioned within the casing and adapte to engage the inner ends of said fan blades for yieldingly holding the fan against inward movement, and adjustable means for locking said pinions against turning move ment.

nular extension forme 7. A fan construction of the character described, comprising a (pulley having an anupon one end thereof, a casing secured to said annular extension, said casing comprising a circular inner section and a similar outer section, said sections being adapted to permit a plurality of fan blades to be rotatably supported therebetween and radiall thereto,' and means for securing said sections to the extension of the pulley.

8. A fan construction of the character described, comprising a ulley having an annular extension forme upon one end thereof, a casing secured to said annular extension, said casing comprising a circular inner section and a similar outer section, said sections being adapted to ermit a plurality of fan blades to be rotata ly su ported therebetween and radially thereto, t e first named section being bolted into the annular extension of the pulley and being formed on its outer face with a central boss, and a bolt extending centrally throu h the outer section and threaded 1nto said boss whereby the two sections are secured tbgether.

9. ,A fan construction of the character described comprising a pulley having an entension formed at one end thereof, a casin comprising a pair of circular sections, sai sections being adapted to permit a plurality of fan blade stems to be rotatably supported therebetween, and means for clamping said sections together and securing the same to the extension of said pulley.

10. A fan construction, com rising an annular casing, a plurality of an blades rotatably supported by said' casin and extending radially thereof, said fan lades being adapted to move inwardly with respect to said casing, a single s ring for yieldingly holding all of said fan b ades a ainst inward movement, andmeans cooperatmg with said spring for normally holding said fan blades against rotation. p

11. A fan construction, comprising an annular casing, a lurality of fan blades rotatably supported said casing and extending radially. thereo 'said fan blades being ada ted to move inwardly with respect to said casin a single spring for yie dingly holding al of said fan blades a ainst 1nward movement, and a pin carrie by each fan blade adapted to engage in cooperative notches when ressed outwardly for bolding its fan bla 0 against rotation.

12. A. fan structure, comprising a casmg, a plurality of fan blades radially mounted therein, 'means ermittin separate axlal adjustment of sai fan bl es, and means for effecting axial adjustment thereof 1n umson.

ELI FRANKLIN COLBY. 

